Peta has urged consumers to avoid adopting rabbits in the Year of the Rabbit, as demand continued to soar

Peta urged consumers to forgo adopting rabbits as household pets, especially in the Year of the Rabbit. -- PHOTO: AP BEIJING - AS DEMAND for pet bunnies grows ahead of the Year of the Rabbit, animal rights group Peta on Friday urged consumers to forgo adopting the furry creatures as household companions. Pet shops in China and elsewhere in Asia have seen soaring sales of rabbits in the run-up to the Lunar New Year, which begins on February 3, but Peta warned the animals are often abandoned once the novelty wears off. 'There's no better time to help rabbits than during the Year of the Rabbit, and you can do so by refusing to support the pet trade that causes so many animals to suffer,' said Beijing-based Peta campaigner Maggie Chen. 'Rabbits aren't just cute and fluffy - they're high-maintenance animals who require significant resources, equipment, attention and veterinary ...